1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to digital document imaging processes and, more particularly, to a scanning environment method for spooling a network scan job to storage, and subsequently pulling the scan job from storage through the print subsystem, as a pseudo print job.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a network scan job is spooled to local or offline storage by a multifunctional peripheral (MFP), the retrieving of the scan job from storage may not be intuitive to the user, since the scan retrieval system is independent of the pre-existing print subsystem. That is, the scanning subsystem is considered separate from the print subsystem. Conventionally, a print subsystem is not used for despooling (requesting and/or retrieving) a network scan job from storage to the client. There is no combined scanning/printing MFP driver. Neither is there a way of sending despooling commands for a network scan job in storage via the installed printer subsystem, such as an installed printer in a Microsoft (MS) printers folder.
Rather, the despooling of a network scan job from storage, to the client, must be requested through a network scanning enabled application, or requested via direct access to the MFP using either the front panel or a device web page. Such a scan job retrieval process may include the following steps:
a. Selecting the targeted MFP by specifying the installed scanner or MFP;
b. Specifying and sending a network scan job retrieval request via the installed scanner's scan driver.
However, the selection of the targeted MFP is prone to human error, especially in networks including several MFPs. The user may incorrectly select a network address or domain name for a locally or network-installed MFP.
FIG. 1a is a depiction of a locally connected scanner (prior art). More conventionally, scanning is usually done as a local scan job. In this case, the scanner is typically immediately adjacent to the client computing device and connected by a local port, such as a parallel, serial, SCSI or USB port. Before scanning any jobs, the user performs a one-time installation of a compatible scanner driver, such as the Twain scan driver. To initiate a scan job, the user performs the following steps:
1. Place the documents to be scanned on the scanner;
2. Invoke a scan capable application, such as Adobe Photoshop®;
3. From the scan capable application, initiate the scan, by:                a. Selecting a File menu, followed by a Scan Menu (File->Scan);        b. Selecting the scanner driver (e.g., Twain driver); and,        c. Selecting OK.        
FIG. 1b is a depiction of a network-connected scanner (prior art). Before scanning any jobs, the user performs a one-time installation of a compatible scanner driver, such as the Twain scan driver. To initiate a scan job, the user may perform the following steps:
1. Walk over to scanner and place documents to scan on the scanner;
2. Walk back to client computing device and invoke a scan capable application;
3. From the scan capable application, initiate the scan, by:                a. Select File->Scan;        b. Select scanner driver (e.g., Twain driver); and,        c. Select OK.        
4. Walk back to scanner and remove documents.
In the current art, there are several methods for scanning a scan job from a network-connected scanning device without the use of a scan driver. In these methods, the scan job is typically:
1. Invoked from the scanner.
2. Sent to a pre-specified destination profile.
3. Some transport and data protocol is used to deliver the scan job to a destination (e.g., client).
It would be advantageous if a user could leverage pre-existing knowledge of the print subsystem to retrieve scan jobs. That is, it would be advantageous if the despooling of a network scan job from storage, to the client, could follow the conventional print subsystem model as follows:
1. Installing a local or network printer (a one-time occurrence);
2. Selecting the targeted MFP by specifying the installed printer; and,
3. Specifying and sending a network scan job retrieval request via the installed printer's printer driver.
It would be further advantageous if a user could request the retrieval of the scan job prior to initiating the scan job (i.e., walkup operation where hardcopy document is scanned in at MFP), as well as after initiating the scan job.